Lens barrel

ABSTRACT

A lens barrel includes a radially-retractable optical element constituting a part of photographing optical system, and is movable between a photographing position and a radially-retracted position; a biasing device for biasing the radially-retractable optical element toward the photographing position; and a swing member which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending parallel to the optical axis, the swing member being rotated so as to push the radially-retractable optical element against a biasing force of the biasing device to move the radially-retractable optical element to the radially-retracted position. The radially-retractable optical element and the swing member are mutually positioned so that a moving amount of the radially-retractable optical element per unit of rotation angle of the swing member gradually decreases as the radially-retractable optical element moves from the photographing position to the radially-retracted position.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lens barrel, and particularly, to a lens barrel having a radially-retractable optical element which is capable of radially retracting away from a photographing optical axis position to a radially-retracted position.

2. Description of the Related Art

Generally, in a telescoping lens barrel in which a photographing optical axis is not deflected by use of a mirror or a prism, the length of the lens barrel in the retracted (accommodated) state thereof cannot be made shorter than the total thickness of the optical elements of the photographing optical system in the optical axis direction thereof. Nevertheless, there has been a demand for a further reduction in length of the retracted photographic lens to achieve an extra-short photographic lens. As a solution to this demand, the assignee of the prevent invention has proposed a zoom lens whose length, in a retracted state, is further reduced by radially retracting a part of the photographing optical system away from the photographing optical axis thereof. This zoom lens is disclosed in United States Patent Publication No. US2003/0156832 A1.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a lens barrel in which the load on a retracting driving device such as a motor is reduced by reducing the variation of the resistance for the radially retracting operation of the radially-retractable optical element.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a lens barrel is provided, including a radially-retractable optical element constituting a part of photographing optical system, the radially-retractable optical element being movable between a photographing position located on an optical axis of the photographing optical system, and a radially-retracted position located on an off-optical-axis position; a biasing device for biasing the radially-retractable optical element toward the photographing position; and a swing member which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending parallel to the optical axis, the swing member being rotated so as to push the radially-retractable optical element against a biasing force of the biasing device to move the radially-retractable optical element to the radially-retracted position. The radially-retractable optical element and the swing member are mutually positioned so that a moving amount of the radially-retractable optical element per unit of rotation angle of the swing member gradually decreases as the radially-retractable optical element moves from the photographing position to the radially-retracted position.

It is desirable for the biasing force of the biasing device to vary according to the movement of the radially-retractable optical element and becomes maximum when the radially-retractable optical element is positioned at the radially-retracted position.

It is desirable for the lens barrel to include a linear guiding device, wherein the radially-retractable optical element is linearly guided by the linear guiding device so as to move between the photographing position and the radially-retracted position in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis.

It is desirable for the linearly guiding device of the radially-retractable optical element to include a guide shaft extending parallel to a retracting direction of the radially-retractable optical element; and an optical-element holder which holds the radially-retractable optical element, the optical-element holder slidably supported by the guide shaft so as to move between the photographing position and the radially-retracted position of the radially-retractable optical element. The swing member rotationally moves while pushing the optical-element holder against the biasing force of the biasing device when the radially-retractable optical element is moved from the photographing position to the radially-retracted position.

It is desirable for the rotation axis of the swing member to be positioned so that a force applying portion, at which the swing member pushes the optical-element holder, gradually approaches the guiding shaft as the radially-retractable optical element moves from the photographing position to the radially-retracted position.

It is desirable for the swing member to include a rotatable lever, one end thereof being rotatably supported by the pivot, and the other end thereof being provided with the force applying portion.

It is desirable for the lens barrel to include a rotational biasing member for rotationally biasing the swing member in a direction so as to hold the radially-retractable optical element in the photographing position.

It is desirable for the lens barrel to include a rotational ring which is driven to rotate about a rotational axis parallel to the optical axis by a motor so as to cause at least one optical element, which is different from the radially-retractable optical element, to move along the optical axis; and a rotation transmitting device for transmitting a rotational driving force of the rotational ring to the swing member when the radially-retractable optical element moves from the photographing position to the radially-retracted position.

It is desirable for the radially-retractable optical element to include an image sensor provided in an imaging position of the photographing optical system.

It is desirable for the lens barrel to include an image-stabilizer which detects vibration applied to the photographing optical system and moves the radially-retractable optical element in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, when the radially-retractable optical element is in the photographing position, to counteract image shake in accordance with a direction and a magnitude of the vibration.

In an embodiment, a lens barrel is provided, including a radially-retractable optical element constituting a part of a photographing optical system, the radially-retractable optical element being movable between a photographing position located on an optical axis of the photographing optical system, and a radially-retracted position located on an off-optical-axis position; a biasing device for biasing the radially-retractable optical element toward the photographing position; and a swing member which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending parallel to the optical axis, the swing member being rotated so as to push the radially-retractable optical element against a biasing force of the biasing device to move the radially-retractable optical element to the radially-retracted position. A biasing force of the biasing device gradually increases, and a moving amount of the radially-retractable optical element per unit rotation angle of the swing member gradually decreases, as the radially-retractable optical element moves from the photographing position to the radially-retracted position.

According to the present invention described above, the variation of the resistance for the radially retracting operation of the radially-retractable optical element can be reduced to thereby reduce the load on the retracting driving device.

The present disclosure relates to subject matter contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-349189 (filed on Dec. 1, 2004), which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a retractable zoom lens to which the present invention is applied in the retracted state of the zoom lens barrel;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the zoom lens shown in FIG. 1 in a photographic state of the zoom lens;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the zoom lens at the wide-angle extremity thereof;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the zoom lens at the telephoto extremity thereof;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of electrical circuits of a camera equipped with the zoom lens shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the moving paths of a helicoid ring and a cam ring and the moving paths of a first lens group and a second lens group by movement of the cam ring;

FIG. 7 is a conceptual diagram showing the combined moving path of each of the first lens group and the second lens group, in which the moving paths of the helicoid ring and the cam ring are included;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the zoom lens shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of elements of an image stabilizing mechanism and a radially-retracting mechanism which are shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of the image stabilizing mechanism and the radially-retracting mechanism, illustrating the retracted state of a CCD holder in the retracted state of the zoom lens shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the image stabilizing mechanism and the radially-retracting mechanism, illustrating the optical-axis advanced state of the CCD holder in a photographic state of the zoom lens;

FIG. 12 is a rear perspective view of a portion of the image stabilizing mechanism as viewed from the rear side of FIGS. 10 and 11;

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of the image stabilizing mechanism and the radially-retracting mechanism in the state shown in FIG. 10, as viewed from the front in the optical axis direction;

FIG. 14 is a front elevational view of the image stabilizing mechanism and the radially-retracting mechanism in the state shown in FIG. 11, as viewed from the front in the optical axis direction;

FIG. 15 is a rear perspective view of the zoom lens in the retracted state of the zoom lens shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a front perspective view of a horizontal moving frame and a vertical moving frame which support the CCD holder, and associated elements;

FIG. 17 is a front view of the horizontal moving frame, the vertical moving frame and the associated elements shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a rear view of the horizontal moving frame, the vertical moving frame and the associated elements shown in FIGS. 16 and 17;

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the CCD holder, the horizontal moving frame, the vertical moving frame and other elements, taken along D1-D1 line shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 20 is a front elevational view of the elements shown in FIGS. 16 through 17 and other associated elements, illustrating an image stabilizing action in the horizontal direction by an operation of a horizontal driving lever;

FIG. 21 is a front elevational view of the elements shown in FIG. 20, illustrating an image stabilizing action in the vertical direction by an operation of a vertical driving lever;

FIG. 22 is a front elevational view of elements of the image stabilizing mechanism and the radially-retracting mechanism, illustrating the retracted state of the CCD holder, the horizontal moving frame and the vertical moving frame which are retracted by an operation of a retracting lever;

FIG. 23 is a front elevational view of the elements shown in FIG. 22, illustrating a state in which the CCD holder, the horizontal moving frame and the vertical moving frame return to their respective photographing positions where the CCD holder is positioned on the photographing optical axis when the retracting lever is disengaged from the vertical moving frame to stop upholding the vertical moving frame; and

FIG. 24 is a front elevational view of elements shown in FIG. 8 for illustrating the relationship between the horizontal driving lever and the vertical motion of the CCD holder, the horizontal moving frame, and the vertical moving frame.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1 and 2 show cross-sections of a zoom lens 10 which is incorporated in a zoom lens camera. The zoom lens 10 is provided with a box-shaped housing 11 and a retractable barrel portion 12 retractably supported inside the housing 11. The outside of the housing 11 is covered by exterior components of the camera; the exterior components are not shown in the drawings. A photographing optical system of the zoom lens 10 includes a first lens group 13 a, a shutter 13 b, a diaphragm 13 c, a second lens group 13 d, a third lens group (radially-retractable optical element) 13 e, a low-pass filter (radially-retractable optical element) 13 f, and a CCD image sensor (radially-retractable optical element) 13 g (hereinafter referred to as CCD), in that order from the object side (the left side as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2). As shown in FIG. 5, the CCD 13 g is electrically connected to a control circuit 14 a having an image processing circuit. Thus, an electronic image can be displayed on an LCD monitor 14 b provided on an outer surface of the camera, and the electronic image data can be recorded in a memory 14 c. In a photographic state (ready-to-photograph state) of the zoom lens 10 shown in FIG. 2, all of the optical elements constituting the photographing optical system are aligned on the same photographing optical axis Z1. On the other hand, in an accommodated (radially retracted) state of the zoom lens 10 shown in FIG. 1, the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f and the CCD 13 g are moved away from the photographing optical axis Z1 to be radially retracted upward in the housing 11, and the second lens group 13 d is linearly retracted into the space created as a result of the upward radial retracting movement of the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f and the CCD 13 g, which reduces the length of the zoom lens 10 in the retracted state thereof. The overall structure of the zoom lens 10 that includes a radially-retracting mechanism for radially retracting optical elements upward will be described hereinafter. In the following description, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction of the zoom lens camera body equipped with the zoom lens 10 as viewed from the front thereof are defined as a y-axis and an x-axis, respectively.

The housing 11 is provided with a hollow box-shaped portion 15 and a hollow fixed ring portion 16 which is formed on a front wall 15 a of the box-shaped portion 15 so as to enclose the photographing optical system about the photographing optical axis Z1. A rotation center axis Z0 serving as the center of the fixed ring portion 16 is parallel to the photographing optical axis Z1 and eccentrically located below the photographing optical axis Z1. A retraction space (accommodation space) SP (FIGS. 1 and 2) is formed inside the box-shaped portion 15 and above the fixed ring portion 16.

A zoom gear 17 (FIGS. 8, 10 and 11) is supported on an inner peripheral surface side of the fixed ring portion 16 to be rotatable on an axis of rotation parallel to the rotation center axis Z0. The zoom gear 17 is rotated forward and reverse by a zoom motor MZ (FIGS. 5, 10, and 11) supported by the housing 11. In addition, the fixed ring portion 16 is provided on an inner peripheral surface thereof with a female helicoid 16 a, a circumferential groove 16 b and a plurality of linear guide grooves 16 c (only one of them is shown in FIG. 8). The circumferential groove 16 b is an annular groove with its center on the rotation center axis Z0, while the plurality of the linear guide grooves 16 c are parallel to the rotation center axis Z0 (see FIGS. 3, 4 and 8).

A helicoid ring (rotational ring) 18 is supported inside the fixed ring portion 16 to be rotatable about the rotation center axis Z0. The helicoid ring 18 is provided with a male helicoid 18 a which is engaged with the female helicoid 16 a of the fixed ring portion 16 and thus can advance and retract in the optical axis direction while rotating due to the engagement of the female helicoid 16 a with the male helicoid 18 a. The helicoid ring 18 is further provided, on an outer peripheral surface thereof in front of the female helicoid 18 a, with a plurality of rotation guiding protrusions 18 b (only two of them are shown in FIG. 8). In a state shown in FIGS. 2 through 4 in which the helicoid ring 18 advances to the frontmost position thereof with respect to the fixed ring portion 16, the female helicoid 16 a and the male helicoid 18 a are disengaged from each other while the plurality of rotation guiding protrusions 18 b are slidably fitted in the circumferential groove 16 b so that the helicoid ring 18 is prevented from further moving in the optical axis direction and is allowed only to rotate at a fixed position in the optical axis direction. The helicoid ring 18 is further provided on threads of the male helicoid 18 a with an annular spur gear 18 c which is in mesh with the zoom gear 17. Teeth of the spur gear 18 c are aligned parallel to the photographing optical axis Z1. The zoom gear 17 is elongated in the axial direction thereof so as to remain engaged with the spur gear 18 c at all times over the entire range of movement of the helicoid ring 18 from a retracted state of the helicoid ring 18 shown in FIGS. 1 and 10 to an extended state of the helicoid ring 18 shown in FIGS. 2 and 11. The helicoid ring 18 is constructed by combining two ring members which are splittable in the optical axis direction. In FIGS. 10 and 11, only the rear ring member of the helicoid ring 18 is shown.

A linear guide ring 20 is supported inside the helicoid ring 18. The linear guide ring 20 is provided in the vicinity of the rear end thereof with a linear guide projection 20 a, and is guided linearly along the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1) by the slidable engagement of the linear guide projection 20 a with the linear guide groove 16 c of the fixed ring portion 16 as shown in FIG. 4. A rotation guiding portion 21 is provided between the inner peripheral surface of the helicoid ring 18 and the outer peripheral surface of the linear guide ring 20. The helicoid ring 18 is supported by the linear guide ring 20 to be rotatable with respect to the linear guide ring 20 and to be movable together with the linear guide ring 20 in the optical axis direction via the rotation guiding portion 21. The rotation guiding portion 21 consists of a plurality of circumferential grooves provided at different positions in the axial direction and radial protrusions, each of which is slidably engaged in the corresponding circumferential groove (see FIGS. 3 and 4).

The linear guide ring 20 is provided on an inner peripheral surface thereof with a plurality of linear guide grooves 20 b (only one of them is shown in each of FIGS. 1 through 4) which extend parallel to the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1). A plurality of linear guide projections 22 a (only one of them is shown in each of FIGS. 1 through 4) which project radially outwards from a first lens group linear guide ring 22 and a plurality of linear guide projections 23 a (only one of them is shown in each of FIGS. 1 through 4) which project radially outwards from a second lens group linear guide ring 23 are slidably engaged with the plurality of linear guide grooves 20 b, respectively. The first lens group linear guide ring 22 guides a first lens group support frame 24 linearly in a direction parallel to the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1) via a plurality of linear guide grooves 22 b (only one of them is shown in each of FIGS. 2 and 3) formed on an inner peripheral surface of the first lens group linear guide ring 22. The second lens group linear guide ring 23 guides a second lens group support frame 25 linearly in a direction parallel to the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1) via a plurality of linear guide keys 23 b (only one of them is shown in each of FIGS. 1 through 4). The first lens group support frame 24 supports the first lens group 13 a via a focusing frame 29, and the second lens group support frame 25 supports the second lens group 13 d.

A cam ring 26 is provided inside the linear guide ring 20 to be rotatable about the rotation center axis Z0. The cam ring 26 is supported by the first lens group linear guide ring 22 and the second lens group linear guide ring 23 to be rotatable with respect to each of the first lens group linear guide ring 22 and the second lens group linear guide ring 23 and to movable in the optical axis direction together therewith via rotation guiding portions 27 and 28 (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotation guiding portion 27 is composed of a discontinuous circumferential groove 27 a (not shown in FIG. 3) which is formed on an outer peripheral surface of the cam ring 26, and an inner flange 27 b which projects radially inwards from the first lens group linear guide ring 22 to be slidably engaged in the discontinuous circumferential groove 27 a. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the rotation guiding portion 28 is composed of a discontinuous circumferential groove 28 a (not shown in FIG. 3) formed on an inner peripheral surface of the cam ring 26 and an outer flange 28 b which projects radially outwards from the second lens group linear guide ring 23 to be slidably engaged in the discontinuous circumferential groove 28 a.

As shown in FIG. 4, the cam ring 26 is provided thereon with a plurality of follower protrusions 26 a (only one of them is shown in FIG. 4) which project radially outwards. The plurality of follower protrusions 26 a passes through a plurality of follower guide slots 20 c (only one of them is shown in FIG. 4) formed in the linear guide ring 20 to be engaged in a plurality of rotation transfer grooves 18 d (only one of them is shown in FIG. 4) formed on an inner peripheral surface of the helicoid ring 18. Each rotation transfer groove 18 d is parallel to the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1), and each follower protrusion 26 a is slidably engaged in the associated rotation transfer groove 18 d to be prevented from moving in the circumferential direction relative to the associated rotation transfer groove 18 d. Accordingly, the rotation of the helicoid ring 18 is transferred to the cam ring 26 via the engagement between the plurality of rotation transfer grooves 18 d and the plurality of follower protrusions 26 a. Although the development shape of each follower guide groove 20 c is not shown in the drawings, each follower guide groove 20 c is a guide groove including a circumferential groove portion with its center on the rotation center axis Z0 and an inclined lead groove portion parallel to the female helicoid 16 a. Accordingly, when rotated by a rotation of the helicoid ring 18, the cam ring 26 rotates while moving forward or rearward along the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1) if each follower protrusion 26 a is engaged in the lead groove portion of the associated follower guide groove 20 c, and rotates at a fixed position in the optical axis direction without moving forward or rearward if each follower protrusion 26 a is engaged in the circumferential groove portion of the associated follower guide groove 20 c.

The cam ring 26 is a double-sided cam ring having a plurality of outer cam grooves 26 b (only one of them is shown in FIG. 3) and a plurality of inner cam grooves 26 c (only one of them is shown in each of FIGS. 3 and 4) on outer and inner peripheral surfaces of the cam ring 26, respectively. The plurality of outer cam grooves 26 b are slidably engaged with a plurality of cam followers 24 a (only one of them is shown in FIG. 3) which project radially inwards from the first lens group support frame 24, respectively, while the plurality of inner cam grooves 26 c are slidably engaged with a plurality of cam followers 25 a (only one of them is shown in each of FIGS. 3 and 4) which project radially outwards from the second lens group support frame 25. Accordingly, when the cam ring 26 is rotated, the first lens group support frame 24 that is guided linearly in the optical axis direction by the first lens group linear guide ring 22 moves forward and rearward along the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1) in predetermined motion in accordance with contours of the plurality of outer cam grooves 26 b likewise, when the cam ring 26 is rotated, the second lens group support frame 25 that is guided linearly in the optical axis direction by the second lens group linear guide ring 23 moves forward and rearward along the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1) in predetermined motion in accordance with contours of the plurality of the plurality of inner cam grooves 26 c.

The second lens group support frame 25 is provided with a cylindrical portion 25 b (see FIGS. 1 and 2) which holds the second lens group 13 d, and supports the shutter 13 b and the diaphragm 13 c in front of the cylindrical portion 25 b to allow each of the shutter 13 b and the diaphragm 13 c to be opened and closed. The shutter 13 b and the diaphragm 13 c can be opened and closed by a shutter actuator MS and a diaphragm actuator MA, respectively, which are supported by the second lens group support frame 25 (see FIGS. 5 and 15).

The focusing frame 29 which holds the first lens group 13 a is supported by the first lens group support frame 24 to be movable along the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1). The focusing frame 29 can be moved forward and rearward by a focusing motor MF (see FIG. 5).

The operation of each of the zoom motor MZ, the shutter actuator MS, the diaphragm actuator MA and the focusing motor MF is controlled by the control circuit 14 a. Upon turning on a main switch 14 d (see FIG. 5) of the camera, the zoom motor MZ is driven to bring the zoom lens 10 to the photographic state shown in FIG. 2. Upon turning off the main switch 14 d, the zoom lens 10 is moved from the photographic state to the retracted state shown in FIG. 1.

The above described operation of the zoom lens 10 is summarized as follows. Upon turning on the main switch 14 d in the retracted state of the zoom lens 10 shown in FIG. 1, the zoom gear 17 is driven to rotate in a lens barrel advancing direction. Accordingly, the helicoid ring 18 moves forward in the optical axis direction while rotating, and simultaneously, the linear guide ring 20 linearly moves forward in the optical axis direction together with the helicoid ring 18. In addition, the rotation of the helicoid ring 18 causes the cam ring 26 to move forward in the optical axis direction while rotating relative to the linear guide ring 20. The first lens group linear guide ring 22 and the second lens group linear guide ring 23 linearly move forward in the optical axis direction together with the cam ring 26. Each of the first lens group support frame 24 and the second lens group support frame 25 moves in the optical axis direction relative to the cam ring 26 in predetermined motion. Therefore, the moving amount of the first lens group 13 a in the optical axis direction when the zoom lens 10 is extended from the retracted state thereof is determined by adding the moving amount of the cam ring 26 relative to the fixed ring portion 16 to the moving amount of the first lens group support frame 24 relative to the cam ring 26 (the advancing/retracting amount of the first lens group support frame 24 by the cam groove 26 b). Furthermore, the moving amount of the second lens group 13 d in the optical axis direction when the zoom lens 10 is extended from the retracted state thereof is determined by adding the moving amount of the cam ring 26 relative to the fixed ring portion 16 to the moving amount of the second lens group support frame 25 relative to the cam ring 26 (the advancing/retracting amount of the second lens group support frame 25 by the cam groove 26 c).

FIG. 6 shows the moving paths of the helicoid ring 18 and the cam ring 26 and the moving paths of the first lens group 13 a and the second lens group 13 d relative to the cam ring 26 (the cam diagrams of the cam grooves 26 b and 26 c). The vertical axis represents the amount of rotation (angular position) of the lens barrel from the retracted state of the zoom lens 10 to the telephoto extremity thereof, and the horizontal axis represents the amount of movement of the lens barrel in the optical axis direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the helicoid ring 18 is moved forward in the optical axis direction while rotating up to an angular position 01 which is located at about the midpoint in the range of extension of the zoom lens 10 from the retracted position (shown in FIG. 1) to the wide-angle extremity (shown by the upper half of the zoom lens 10 from the photographing optical axis Z1 and shown in FIG. 2), whereas the helicoid ring 18 rotates at a fixed position in the optical axis direction as described above in the range of extension of the zoom lens 10 from the angular position θ1 to the telephoto extremity (shown by the lower half of the zoom lens 10 from the photographing optical axis Z1 and shown in FIG. 4). On the other hand, the cam ring 26 is moved forward in the optical axis direction while rotating up to an angular position θ2 which is located immediately behind the wide-angle extremity of the zoom lens 10 in the range of extension of the zoom lens 10 from the retracted position to the wide-angle extremity, whereas the cam ring 26 rotates at a fixed position in the optical axis direction as described above in the range of extension of the zoom lens 10 from the angular position θ2 to the telephoto extremity, similar to the helicoid ring 18. In the zooming range from the wide-angle extremity to the telephoto-extremity, the moving amount of the first lens group 13 a in the optical axis direction is determined from the moving amount of the first lens group support frame 24 relative to the cam ring 26 which rotates at a fixed position in the optical axis direction (the advancing/retracting amount of the first lens group support frame 24 via the cam groove 26 b), while the moving amount of the second lens group 13 d in the optical axis direction is determined from the moving amount of the second lens group support frame 25 relative to the cam ring 26 which rotates at a fixed position in the optical axis direction (the advancing/retracting amount of the second lens group support frame 25 via the cam groove 26 c). The focal length of the zoom lens 10 is varied by the relative movement in the optical axis direction between the first lens group 13 a and the second lens group 13 d. FIG. 7 shows the actual moving path of the first lens group 13 a which is obtained by combining the moving amounts of the helicoid ring 18 and the cam ring 26 with the moving amount of the first lens group 13 a by the cam groove 26 b, and the actual moving path of the second lens group 13 d which is obtained by combining the moving amounts of the helicoid ring 18 and the cam ring 26 with the moving amount by the cam groove 26 c.

In the zooming range from the wide-angle extremity to the telephoto extremity, a focusing operation is performed by moving the first lens group 13 a in the optical axis direction independently of other optical elements by the focusing motor MF.

The operations of the first lens group 13 a and the second lens group 13 d have been described above. In the zoom lens 10 of the present embodiment, the optical elements of the zoom lens 10 from the third lens group 13 e to the CCD 13 g are retractable away from the photographing position on the photographing optical axis Z1 to an off-optical-axis retracted position (radially retracted position) Z2 located above the photographing position as described above. In addition, by moving the optical elements from the third lens group 13 e to the CCD 13 g on a plane perpendicular to the photographing optical axis Z1, image shake can also be counteracted. The retracting mechanism and the image stabilizing mechanism will be discussed hereinafter.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 19, the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f and the CCD 13 g are held by a CCD holder 30 to be provided as a unit. The CCD holder 30 is provided with a holder body 30 a, a sealing member 30 b and a pressure plate 30 c. The third lens group 13 e is held by the holder body 30 a at a front end aperture thereof. The low-pass filter 13 f is held between a flange formed on an inner surface of the holder body 30 a and the sealing member 30 b, and the CCD 13 g is held between the sealing member 30 b and the pressure plate 30 c. The holder body 30 a and the pressure plate 30 c are fixed to each other by three fixing screws 30 d (see FIGS. 15 and 18) separately arranged around the central axis of the CCD holder 30 (the photographing optical axis Z1 in a photographic state of the zoom lens 10). The three fixing screws 30 d also secure one end portion of an image transmission flexible PWB 31 to the rear surface of the pressure plate 30 c so that a supporting substrate of the CCD 13 g is electrically connected to the image transmission flexible PWB 31.

The image transmission flexible PWB 31 extends from its connection end at the CCD 13 g to the retraction space SP in the housing 11. The image transmission flexible PWB 31 is provided with a first linear portion 31 a, a U-shaped portion 31 b, a second linear portion 31 c, and a third linear portion 31 d (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The first linear portion 31 a is substantially orthogonal to the photographing optical axis Z1 and extends upward. The U-shaped portion 31 b is bent forward from the first linear portion 31 a. The second linear portion 31 c extends downward from the U-shaped portion 31 b. The third linear portion 31 d is folded upward from the second linear portion 31 c. The third linear portion 31 d is fixed to an inner surface of the front wall 15 a of the housing 11 therealong. The first linear portion 31 a, the U-shaped portion 31 b and the second linear portion 31 c (except the third linear portion 31 d) serve as a free-deformable portion which is freely resiliently deformable according to the motion of the CCD holder 30.

The CCD holder 30 is supported by a horizontal moving frame 32 via three adjusting screws 33 (see FIGS. 15 and 18) separately arranged around the central axis of the CCD holder 30 (the photographing optical axis Z1 in a ready-photograph state of the zoom lens 10). Three compression coil springs 34 are installed between the CCD holder 30 and the horizontal moving frame 32. The shaft portions of the three adjusting screws 33 are inserted into the three compression coil springs 34, respectively. When the tightening amounts of the adjusting screws 33 are changed, the respective compression amounts of the coil springs 34 are changed. The adjusting screws 33 and the compression coil springs 34 are provided at three different positions around the optical axis of the third lens group 13 e, and accordingly, the inclination of the CCD holder 30 with respect to the horizontal moving frame 32, or the inclination of the optical axis of the third lens group 13 e with respect to the photographing optical axis Z1, can be adjusted by changing the tightening amounts of the three adjusting screws 33.

As shown in FIG. 16, the horizontal moving frame 32 is supported by a vertical moving frame (linear guiding device) 36 to be movable with respect thereto via a horizontal guide shaft 35 extending in the x-axis direction. Specifically, the horizontal moving frame 32 is provided with a rectangular frame portion 32 a which encloses the CCD holder 30 and an arm portion 32 b which extends horizontally from the frame portion 32 a. A spring supporting protrusion 32 c is formed on an upper surface of the frame portion 32 a, and an inclined surface 32 d and a position restricting surface 32 e are formed on an end portion of the arm portion 32 b. The position restricting surface 32 e is a flat surface parallel to the y-axis. On the other hand, the vertical moving frame 36 is provided with a pair of motion restricting frames 36 a and 36 b, a spring supporting portion 36 c, an upper bearing portion 36 d, and a lower bearing portion 36 e. The pair of motion restricting frames 36 a and 36 b are provided spaced apart in the x-axis direction. The spring supporting portion 36 c is located between the pair of the motion restricting frames 36 a and 36 b. The upper bearing portion 36 d is located on a line extended from the spring supporting portion 36 c in the x-axis direction. The lower bearing portion 36 e is located below the upper bearing portion 36 d. As shown in FIG. 17, the horizontal moving frame 32 is supported by the vertical moving frame 36 in a state where the frame portion 32 a is positioned in the space between the pair of motion restricting frames 36 a and 36 b and where the inclined surface 32 d and the position restricting surface 32 e of the arm portion 32 b are positioned between the motion restricting frame 36 b and the upper bearing portion 36 d.

One end of the horizontal guide shaft 35 is fixed to the motion restricting frame 36 a of the vertical moving frame 36, and the other end of the horizontal guide shaft 35 is fixed to the upper bearing portion 36 d of the vertical moving frame 36. Two through-holes are respectively formed in the motion restricting frame 36 b and the spring supporting portion 36 c to be horizontally aligned to each other so as to allow the horizontal guide shaft 35 to pass through the motion restricting frame 36 b and the spring supporting portion 36 c. Horizontal through-holes 32 x 1 and 32 x 2 (see FIG. 17) into which the horizontal guide shaft 35 is inserted are formed in the arm portion 32 b and the spring supporting protrusion 32 c of the horizontal moving frame 32, respectively. The horizontal through-holes 32 x 1 and 32 x 2 of the horizontal moving frame 32 and the aforementioned two through-holes which are respectively formed in the motion restricting frame 36 b and the spring supporting portion 36 c are horizontally aligned with each other. Since the horizontal guide shaft 35 is slidably fitted in the horizontal through-holes 32 x 1 and 32 x 2, the horizontal moving frame 32 is supported by the vertical moving frame 36 to be movable with respect to the vertical moving frame 36 in the x-axis direction. A horizontal moving frame biasing spring 37 is installed on the horizontal guide shaft 35 between the spring supporting protrusion 32 c and the spring supporting portion 36 c. The horizontal moving frame biasing spring 37 is a compression coil spring and biases the horizontal moving frame 32 in a direction (leftward as viewed in FIG. 17) to make the spring supporting protrusion 32 c approach the motion restricting frame 36 a.

Vertical through-holes 36 y 1 and 36 y 2 (see FIG. 16) are further formed in the upper bearing portion 36 d and the lower bearing portion 36 e of the vertical moving frame 36, respectively, which extend in a line along the y-axis direction which is orthogonal to the photographing optical axis Z1. The vertical through-hole 36 y 1 and the vertical through-hole 36 y 2 are vertically aligned, and a vertical guide shaft (linear guiding device) 38 (see FIGS. 8 and 9) passes through vertical through-hole 36 y 1 and the vertical through-hole 36 y 2. Both ends of the vertical guide shaft 38 are fixed to the housing 11, and therefore, the vertical moving frame 36 can move along the vertical guide shaft 38 in the y-axis direction inside the camera. More specifically, the vertical moving frame 36 can move between the photographing position shown in FIG. 1 and the retracted position shown in FIG. 2. When the vertical moving frame 36 is positioned in the photographing position as shown in FIG. 2, the centers of the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f and the CCD 13 g in the CCD holder 30 are positioned on the photographing optical axis Z1. When the vertical moving frame 36 is positioned in the radially retracted position as shown in FIG. 1, the centers of the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f and the CCD 13 g are positioned in the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2 that is located above the fixed ring portion 16.

The vertical moving frame 36 is provided with a spring hooking portion 36 f which projects horizontally from a side surface of the vertical moving frame 36 in a direction away from the vertical through-hole 36 y 1, and a vertical moving frame biasing spring (biasing device) 39 is extended between the spring hooking portion 36 f and a spring hooking portion 11 a (see FIGS. 8 and 15) fixed to the housing 11 therein. The vertical moving frame biasing spring 39 is an extension coil spring and biases the vertical moving frame 36 downward (i.e., toward the photographing position thereof shown in FIG. 2).

As described above, the horizontal moving frame 32 that holds the CCD holder 30 is supported by the vertical moving frame 36 to be movable in the x-axis direction with respect to the vertical moving frame 36, and the vertical moving frame 36 is supported by the housing 11 via the vertical guide shaft 38 to be movable in the y-axis direction with respect to the housing 11. Image shake can be counteracted by moving the CCD holder 30 in the x-axis direction and the y-axis direction. To this end, a horizontal driving lever 40 and a vertical driving lever 41 are provided as elements of a driving mechanism which achieves such movement of the CCD holder 30. The horizontal driving lever 40 and the vertical driving lever 41 are pivoted on a lever pivot shaft 42 to be rotatable (swingable) independently of each other. The lever pivot shaft 42 is positioned in the housing 11 and fixed thereto to be parallel to the photographing optical axis Z1.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 20, the horizontal driving lever 40 is pivoted at the lower end thereof on the lever pivot shaft 42, and is provided at the upper end of the horizontal driving lever 40 with a force-applying end 40 a. The horizontal driving lever 40 is provided in the vicinity of the force-applying end 40 a with an operation pin 40 b which projects rearward in the optical axis direction and a spring hooking portion 40 c which projects forward in the optical axis direction. As shown in FIG. 12, the force-applying end 40 a of the horizontal driving lever 40 abuts against a lug 43 b of a first moving member 43. The first moving member 43 is supported by a pair of parallel guide bars 44 (44 a and 44 b) to be slidable thereon in the x-axis direction, and a driven nut member 45 abuts against the first moving member 43. The driven nut member 45 is provided with a female screw hole 45 b and a rotation restricting groove 45 a (see FIG. 9) which is slidably fitted on the guide bar 44 b. A drive shaft (a feed screw) 46 a of a first stepping motor 46 is screwed into the female screw hole 45 b. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the driven nut member 45 abuts against the first moving member 43 from the left side. One end of an extension coil spring 47 is hooked on the spring hooking portion 40 c of the horizontal driving lever 40, and the other end of the spring 47 is hooked on a spring hooking portion 11 b which projects from an inner surface of the housing 11 (see FIG. 12). The extension coil spring 47 biases the horizontal driving lever 40 in a direction to bring the first moving member 43 to abut against the driven nut member 45, i.e., in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 13, 14 and 20. Due to this structure, driving the first stepping motor 46 causes the driven nut member 45 to move along the pair of guide bars 44, and at the same time causes the first moving member 43 to move together with the driven nut member 45, thus causing the horizontal driving lever 40 to swing about the lever pivot shaft 42. Specifically, moving the driven nut member 45 rightward as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 14 causes the driven nut member 45 to press the first moving member 43 in the same direction against the biasing force of the extension spring 47, thus causing the horizontal driving lever 40 to rotate clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 14. Conversely, moving the driven nut member 45 leftward as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 14 causes the first moving member 43 to move in the same direction while following the leftward movement of the driven nut member 45 due to the biasing force of the extension coil spring 47, thus causing the horizontal driving lever 40 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 14.

As shown in FIG. 20, the operation pin 40 b of the horizontal driving lever 40 abuts against the position restricting surface 32 e that is provided on the end portion of the arm portion 32 b of the horizontal moving frame 32. Since the horizontal moving frame 32 is biased leftward as viewed in FIG. 20 by the horizontal moving frame biasing spring 37, the operation pin 40 b remains in contact with the position restricting surface 32 e. When the horizontal driving lever 40 swings, the position of the operation pin 40 b changes along the x-axis direction, so that the horizontal moving frame 32 moves along the horizontal guide shaft 35. Specifically, rotating the horizontal driving lever 40 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 20 causes the operation pin 40 b to press the position restricting surface 32 e, which causes the horizontal moving frame 32 to move rightward as viewed in FIG. 20 against the biasing force of the horizontal moving frame biasing spring 37. Conversely, rotating the horizontal driving lever 40 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 20 causes the operation pin 40 b to move in a direction away from the position restricting surface 32 e (leftward as viewed in FIG. 20), which causes the horizontal moving frame 32 to move in the same direction while following the leftward movement of the operation pin 40 b due to the biasing force of the horizontal moving frame biasing spring 37.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 21, the vertical driving lever 41 is pivoted at its lower end on the lever pivot shaft 42, as in the case of the horizontal driving lever 40, and is provided at the upper end of the vertical driving lever 41 with a force-applying end 41 a. The vertical driving lever 41 is longer than the horizontal driving lever 40, and the force-applying end 41 a protrudes upward to a position higher than the position of the force-applying end 40 a. The vertical driving lever 41 is provided between the lever rotating shaft 42 and the force-applying end 41 a with a pressing inclined surface 41 b which projects rightward as viewed in FIG. 21. The vertical driving lever 41 is provided above the pressing inclined surface 41 b with a spring hooking portion 41 c. As shown in FIG. 12, the force-applying end 41 a abuts against a lug 50 b of a second moving member 50. The second moving member 50 is supported by a pair of parallel guide bars 51 (51 a and 51 b) to be slidable thereon in the x-axis direction, and a driven nut member 52 abuts against the second moving member 50. The driven nut member 52 is provided with a female screw hole 52 b and a rotation restricting groove 52 a which is slidably fitted on the guide bar 51 b. A drive shaft (a feed screw) 53 a of a second stepping motor 53 is screwed into the female screw hole 52 b. As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the driven nut member 52 abuts against the second moving member 50 from the left side as viewed from the front of the camera. One end of an extension coil spring 54 is hooked on the spring hooking portion 41 c of the vertical driving lever 41, and the other end of the spring 54 is hooked on a spring hooking portion (not shown) formed on an inner surface of the housing 11. The extension coil spring 54 biases the vertical driving lever 41 in a direction to bring the second moving member 50 to abut against the driven nut member 52, i.e., in the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 13, 14, and 21. Due to this structure, driving the second stepping motor 53 causes the driven nut member 52 to move along the pair of guide bars 51, and at the same time causes the second moving member 50 to move together with the driven nut member 52, thus causing the vertical driving lever 41 to swing about the lever pivot shaft 42. Specifically, moving the driven nut member 52 rightward as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 14 causes the driven nut member 52 to press the second moving member 50 in the same direction against the biasing force of the extension spring 54, thus causing the vertical driving lever 41 to rotate clockwise as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 14. Conversely, moving the driven nut member 52 leftward as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 14 causes the second moving member 50 to move in the same direction while following the leftward movement of the driven nut member 52 due to the biasing force of the extension spring 54, thus causing the vertical driving lever 41 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 13 and 14.

As shown in FIG. 21, the pressing inclined surface 41 b of the vertical driving lever 41 can come into contact with a pressed pin 36 g which projects forward from the upper bearing portion 36 d of the vertical moving frame 36. Since the vertical moving frame 36 is biased downwards as viewed in FIG. 21 by the vertical moving frame biasing spring 39, the pressed pin 36 g always remains in contact with the pressing inclined surface 41 b. When the vertical driving lever 41 swings, the abutting angle of the pressing inclined surface 41 b relative to the pressed pin 36 g changes, so that the vertical moving frame 36 moves along the vertical guide shaft 38. Specifically, rotating the vertical driving lever 41 clockwise as viewed in FIG. 21 causes the pressing inclined surface 41 b to press the pressed pin 36 g upward as viewed in FIG. 21, which causes the vertical moving frame 36 to move upward against the biasing force of the vertical moving frame biasing spring 39. Conversely, rotating the vertical driving lever 41 counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 21 causes the abutting point on the pressing inclined surface 41 b relative to the pressed pin 36 g to descend, which causes the vertical moving frame 36 to move downward by the biasing force of the vertical moving frame biasing spring 39.

In the above-described structure, the horizontal moving frame 32 can be caused to move left or right in the x-axis direction by driving the first stepping motor 46 forward or reverse. Furthermore, the vertical moving frame 36 can be caused to move upwards or downwards in the y-axis direction by driving the second stepping motor 53 forward or reverse.

The first moving member 43 is provided with a plate portion 43 a, and the second moving member 50 is provided with a plate portion 50 a. The initial position of the horizontal moving frame 32 can be detected by a photo sensor 55 having a light emitter and a light receiver which are spaced apart from each other as shown in FIGS. 8, 10 and 11 when the plate portion 43 a passes between the light emitter and the light receiver of the photo sensor 55. The plate portion 43 a and the photo sensor 55 constitute a photo interrupter. Likewise, the initial position of vertical moving frame 36 can be detected by a photo sensor 56 having a light emitter and a light receiver which are spaced apart from each other as shown in FIGS. 8, 10 and 11 when the plate portion 50 a passes between the light emitter and the light receiver of the photo sensor 56. The plate portion 50 a and the photo sensor 56 constitute a photo interrupter. The two photo sensors 55 and 56 are fixed in two fixing holes 15 a 1 and 15 a 2 (see FIG. 8) formed on a front wall of the housing 11 to be supported thereby.

The present embodiment of the zoom lens camera has an image-shake detection sensor 57 (see FIG. 5) which detects the angular velocity around two axes (the vertical and horizontal axes of the camera) orthogonal to each other in a plane perpendicular to the photographing optical axis Z1. The magnitude and the direction of camera shake (vibrations) are detected by the image-shake detection sensor 57. The control circuit 14 a determines a moving angle by time-integrating the angular velocity of the camera shake in the two axial directions, detected by the image-shake detection sensor 57. Subsequently, the control circuit 14 a calculates from the moving angle the moving amounts of the image on a focal plane (imaging surface/light receiving surface of the CCD 13 g) in the x-axis direction and in the y-axis direction. The control circuit 14 further calculates the driving amounts and the driving directions of the horizontal moving frame 32 and the vertical moving frame 36 for the respective axial directions (driving pulses for the first stepping motor 46 and the second stepping motor 53) in order to counteract the camera shake. Thereupon, the first stepping motor 46 and the second stepping motor 53 are actuated and the operations thereof are controlled in accordance with the calculated values. In this manner, each of the horizontal moving frame 32 and the vertical moving frame 36 is driven in the calculated direction by the calculated amount in order to counteract the shake of the photographing optical axis Z1 to thereby stabilize the image on the focal plane. The camera can be put into this image stabilization mode by turning on a photographing mode select switch 14 e (see FIG. 5). If the switch 14 e is in an off-state, the image stabilizing capability is deactivated so that a normal photographing operation is performed.

The present embodiment of the zoom lens camera uses part of the above-described image stabilizing mechanism to perform the retracting operation (radially retracting operation) of the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f and the CCD 13 g toward the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2 into the retraction space SP when the zoom lens 10 is retracted from a photographic state. As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, a retracting lever (swing member) 60 is provided below the vertical moving frame 36. The retracting lever 60 is pivoted on a pivot shaft (rotation axis of the swing member) 60 a to be rotatable (swingable) thereabout. A coaxial gear (rotation transmitting device) 61 is installed adjacent to the retracting lever 60, and is coaxially provided on the pivot shaft 60 a to be rotatable on the pivot shaft 60 a. A rotational force is transferred from an interconnecting gear (rotation transmitting device) 64 to the coaxial gear 61 via two relay gears (rotation transmitting device) 62 and 63. The pivot shaft 60 a, which serves as the rotation axis of each of the retracting lever 60 and the coaxial gear 61, the rotation axes of the relay gears 62 and 63, and the rotation axis of the interconnecting gear 64 are each parallel to the rotation center axis Z0 (and the photographing optical axis Z1).

As shown in FIGS. 9, 22 and 23, the retracting lever 60 is provided in the vicinity of the pivot shaft 60 a with a rotation transfer protrusion 60 b having a sector-shaped cross section and projecting forward in the optical axis direction. The coaxial gear 61 is provided, at a rear end thereof, with a rotation transfer protrusion 61 a which projects rearward in the optical axis direction, has the same diameter of that of the rotation transfer protrusion 60 b, and is coaxial with the pivot shaft 60 a. Namely, the rotation transfer protrusion 60 b and the rotation transfer protrusion 61 a have the same diameter and are positioned on the pivot shaft 60 a to be circumferentially engageable with each other. The coaxial gear 61 transfers a rotation thereof to the retracting lever 60 by engaging the rotation transfer protrusion 61 a with the rotation transfer protrusion 60 b of the retracting lever 60. When the coaxial gear 61 rotates in a direction to disengage the rotation transfer protrusion 61 a from the rotation transfer protrusion 60 b, the rotational force of the coaxial gear 61 is not transferred to the retracting lever 60. The retracting lever 60 is biased to rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 22 and 23 by a torsion spring (rotational biasing member) 60 c, and the housing 11 is provided therein with a stop projection 65 (see FIGS. 13, 14, 22 and 23) which defines the limit of rotation of the retracting lever 60 in the biasing direction of the torsion spring 60 c. Namely, the retracting lever 60 comes in contact with the stop projection 65 as shown in FIG. 23 when fully rotated counterclockwise as viewed in FIGS. 22 and 23.

The vertical moving frame 36 is provided on a bottom surface thereof with an abutment surface 66 consisting of an arc-shaped surface 66 a and a leading surface 66 b. The arc-shaped surface 66 a has an arc shape which corresponds to an arc pivoted on the axis of the pivot shaft 60 a of the retracting lever 60, and the leading surface 66 b is formed as a flat inclined surface. The lowermost point of the leading surface 66 b is located at the portion thereof which is connected to the arc-shaped surface 66 a, and the leading surface 66 b gradually rises in a direction away from the arc-shaped surface 66 a (in a direction to approach the left side surface of the vertical moving frame 36 as viewed in FIGS. 22 and 23).

The interconnecting gear 64 is provided with a gear portion 64 a and a rotation restricting portion 64 b at different positions in the axial direction of interconnecting gear 64. The rotation restricting portion 64 b has a non-circular (D-shaped) cross-sectional shape and includes a large-diameter cylindrical portion 64 b 1 and a flat portion 64 b 2. The large-diameter cylindrical portion 64 b 1 has an incomplete cylindrical shape having a diameter larger than that of the gear portion 64 a. The flat portion 64 b 2 is formed on the rotation restricting portion 64 b in a manner so that a part of the large diameter cylindrical portion 64 b 1 appears to be cut off to form a nearly flat shape. In an area in which the flat portion 64 b 2 is formed, the tips of the teeth of the gear portion 64 a project radially outwards from the rotation restricting portion 64 b. The flat portion 64 b 2 is formed as a flat surface which includes a straight line parallel to the axis of rotation of the interconnecting gear 64.

The interconnecting gear 64 is positioned to face the outer surface of the helicoid ring 18. The spur gear 18 c faces either the gear portion 64 a of the interconnecting gear 64 (in the state shown in FIGS. 11 and 14) or the rotation restricting portion 64 b (in the state shown FIGS. 10 and 13) depending on the axial position (and the type of motion) of the helicoid ring 18 in the optical axis direction. When the helicoid ring 18 rotates at a fixed position as described above, the spur gear 18 c is engaged with the gear portion 64 a. As the helicoid ring 18 moves in the retracting direction from the fixed-position rotating state, the spur gear 18 c is disengaged from the interconnecting gear 64 to face the rotation restricting portion 64 b, so that the transfer of rotation of the helicoid ring 18 to the interconnecting gear 64 is stopped.

The operation of the retracting lever 60 will be discussed in detail hereinafter. FIG. 23 shows elements of the image stabilizing mechanism and the retracting mechanism in a state where the zoom lens 10 is set at the wide-angle extremity. In this state, the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f and the CCD 13 g are positioned on the photographing optical axis Z1 (see the upper half of the zoom lens 10 shown in FIG. 2), and also the helicoid ring 18 is in a state where the helicoid ring 18 is only allowed to rotate at a fixed position in the optical axis direction (see FIG. 6) while the gear portion 64 a of the interconnecting gear 64 is engaged with the spur gear 18 c of the helicoid ring 18. When the helicoid ring 18 rotates in the retracting direction from the wide-angle extremity, the coaxial gear 61 rotates clockwise as viewed in FIG. 23 via the interconnecting gear 64 and the relay gears 62 and 63. As shown in FIG. 23, since the rotation transfer protrusion 61 a and the rotation transfer protrusion 60 b are slightly apart from each other when the zoom lens 10 is set at the wide-angle extremity, no rotational force is transferred from the coaxial gear 61 to the retracting lever 60 for a short period of time after the coaxial gear 61 starts rotating. Accordingly, the retracting lever 60 is held in the position shown in FIG. 23 where the retracting lever 60 is in contact with the stop projection 65 due to the biasing force of the torsion spring 60 c. Thereafter, upon the rotation transfer protrusion 61 a coming into contact with the rotation transfer protrusion 60 b and pressing the rotation transfer protrusion 60 b, the retracting lever 60 starts rotating clockwise with respect to FIG. 23 against the biasing force of the torsion spring 60 c. In the present embodiment, the timing of the commencement of rotation of the retracting lever 60 substantially corresponds to the angular position θ2 at which the cam ring 26 starts retracting in the optical axis direction from the fixed position rotation state (see FIG. 6).

When the retracting lever 60 rotates clockwise from the angular position shown in FIG. 23, a force-applying end (force applying portion) 60 d formed at the free end of the retracting lever 60 is brought into contact with the leading surface 66 b of the abutment surface 66 of the vertical moving frame 36. A further clockwise rotation of the retracting lever 60 causes the retracting lever 60 to lift (push) the vertical moving frame 36 according to the inclined shape of the leading surface 66 b, thus causing the vertical moving frame 36 to move upward in the housing 11 along the vertical guide shaft 38.

On and after the angular position exceeding θ1 shown in FIG. 6, when the helicoid ring 18 rotates in the retracting direction, the rotating operation of the helicoid ring 18 at a fixed position in the optical axis direction ends, and subsequently the helicoid ring 18 starts moving rearward in the optical axis direction while rotating. Thereupon, the spur gear 18 c of the helicoid ring 18 is disengaged from the gear portion 64 a of the interconnecting gear 64, which in turn faces the flat portion 64 b 2 of the rotation restricting portion 64 b. Since each of the spur gear 18 c and the gear portion 64 a has a predetermined length in the optical axis direction, the engagement between the spur gear 18 c and the gear portion 64 a is not released at once immediately after the fixed-position rotating state of the helicoid ring 18 changes to the rotating and retracting state thereof at the angular position θ1, but is released at an angular position θ3 at which the helicoid ring 18 further retracts in the retracting direction by a small amount of movement. Due to this disengagement of the spur gear 18 c from the gear portion 64 a, the rotational force of the helicoid ring 18 is no longer transferred to the interconnecting gear 64, so that the upward rotational motion of the retracting lever 60 is terminated. FIGS. 15 and 22 show the retracting lever 60 in a state in which the upward rotational motion thereof has been terminated. As can be seen in FIG. 22, the force-applying end 60 d of the retracting lever 60 is in contact with the arc-shaped surface 66 a after passing the boundary between the arc-shaped surface 66 a and the leading surface 66 b. In this state, the vertical moving frame 36 lifted by the retracting lever 60 have been moved into the retraction space SP in the housing 11 as shown in FIG. 1.

The retracting operation of the zoom lens 10 is not completed at the angular position θ3 where the upward retracting motion of the vertical moving frame 36 is completed; the helicoid ring 18 and the cam ring 26 further move rearward in the optical axis direction while rotating. Thereafter, when the helicoid ring 18 and the cam ring 26 reach their respective retracted positions shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical portion 25 b of the second lens group support frame 25 that holds the second lens group 13 d is retracted into the space in the housing 11 which is formerly occupied by the vertical moving frame 36 when the zoom lens 10 is in a photographic state. In this manner, the thickness of the photographing optical system in the optical axis direction can be reduced in the retracted state of the zoom lens 10, which makes it possible to reduce the thickness of the zoom lens 10, which in turn makes it possible to reduce the thickness of a camera incorporating the zoom lens 10.

In the above-described retracting operation of the zoom lens 10, after the zoom lens 10 retracts to the angular position θ3 where the engagement between the gear portion 64 a of the interconnecting gear 64 and the spur gear 18 c of the helicoid ring 18 is released, the spur gear 18 c faces the flat portion 64 b 2 of the rotation restricting portion 64 b. In this state where the spur gear 18 c faces the flat portion 64 b 2, the flat portion 64 b 2 is positioned in close vicinity of the tooth top (outermost periphery/addendum circle) of the spur gear 18 c. Therefore, even if the interconnecting gear 64 tries to rotate, the flat portion 64 b 2 abuts against the outer periphery of the spur gear 18 c to prevent the interconnecting gear 64 from rotating (see FIGS. 10 and 13). In this manner, the interconnecting gear 64 is prevented from rotating accidentally in the retracted state of the zoom lens 10, and thus the retracting lever 60 can be securely locked in the upper rotational position. In other words, in the retracted state shown in FIG. 22, although the retracting lever 60 is biased counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 22 by the torsion spring 60 c, the retracting lever 60 is prevented from rotating counterclockwise by a gear train consisting of the coaxial gear 61, the pair of relay gears 62 and 63 and the interconnecting gear 64. The abutting physical relationship between the flat portion 64 b 2 of the interconnecting gear 64 and the spur gear 18 c serves as a rotation restricting device for restricting rotation of the retracting lever 60. Therefore, the retracting lever 60 can be securely held in a halting state without any complicated locking mechanism.

In a state in which the vertical moving frame 36 is radially retracted upward completely out of the linear retracting path of the first and second lens groups 13 a and 13 d, the force-applying end 60 d of the retracting lever 60 abuts against the arc-shaped surface 66 a which has an arc-shaped surface having its center on the axis of the pivot shaft 60 a of the retracting lever 60. Therefore, even if the angle of the retracting lever 60 is changed, the vertical position of the vertical moving frame 36 is not changed and held constant so long as the force-applying end 60 d abuts against the arc-shaped surface 66 a.

The operation of the retracting mechanism from the wide-angle extremity to the retracted position has been described above. On the other hand, in the zooming range from the wide-angle extremity to the telephoto extremity, the spur gear 18 c of the helicoid ring 18 rotating at a fixed position remains engaged with the gear portion 64 a of the interconnecting gear 64, and thus the interconnecting gear 64 is rotated according to the rotation of the helicoid ring 18. However, rotating the helicoid ring 18 from the wide-angle extremity state shown in FIG. 23 toward the telephoto extremity causes the coaxial gear 61 to rotate counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 23, i.e., in a direction to move the rotation transfer protrusion 61 a away from the rotation transfer protrusion 60 b. Therefore, in the zooming range from the wide-angle extremity to the telephoto extremity, no rotational force is transferred to the retracting lever 60, and the retracting lever 60 is held at the angular position shown in FIG. 23. In this manner, the range of rotation of the retracting lever 60 can be minimized, thereby preventing an increase in size of the zoom lens barrel.

When the vertical moving frame 36 is retracted upward to the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2 as shown in FIG. 24, the position restricting surface 32 e that is provided on the arm portion 32 b of the horizontal moving frame 32 is disengaged from the operation pin 40 b that is provided on the horizontal driving lever 40. This disengagement of the position restricting surface 32 e from the operation pin 40 b causes the horizontal moving frame 32 to move leftward as viewed in FIG. 24 by the biasing force of the horizontal moving frame biasing spring 37 up to a point at which the frame portion 32 a of the horizontal moving frame 32 abuts against the motion restricting frame 36 a of the vertical moving frame 36. From this state, upon the vertical moving frame 36 being moved down to the photographing optical axis Z1, the inclined surface 32 d of the horizontal moving frame 32 comes in contact with the operation pin 40 b as shown by two-dot chain lines in FIG. 24. The inclined surface 32 d is inclined so as to guide the operation pin 40 b to the position restricting surface 32 e side according to the downward motion of the vertical moving frame 36. Therefore, upon the vertical moving frame 36 being moved down to the photographing position, the operation pin 40 b is again engaged with the position restricting surface 32 e as shown in FIG. 20 and the frame portion 32 a of the horizontal moving frame 32 returns to the neutral position thereof between the motion restricting frame 36 a and the motion restricting frame 36 b.

As described above, during the retracting operation of the zoom lens (lens barrel) 10, the rotational motion of the retracting lever 60 causes the vertical moving frame 36 to be lifted from the position on the photographing optical axis Z1 to the radially-retracted position. Thus, the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f, and the CCD 13 g are radially retracted so as to be positioned at the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 23, the radially-retractable optical elements including the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f, and the CCD 13 g are located in the photographing position on the photographing optical axis Z1. In this state, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 13 and 14, or FIGS. 22 and 23, the force applying end 60 d of the retracting lever 60 is located farthest, in the horizontal direction (x-axis direction) of the camera, from the vertical guide shaft 38 which guides the vertical moving frame 36. Namely, the vertical moving frame 36 and the vertical guide shaft 38 constitute a linear guiding device for guiding the radially-retractable optical elements. The force applying end 60 d gradually approaches the vertical guide shaft 38 in the horizontal direction of the camera, as the vertical moving frame 36 is moved upward toward the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2. The pivot shaft 60 a of the retracting lever 60 is provided near the vertical guide shaft 38, and the extending direction of the vertical guide shaft 38 is orthogonal (i.e., y-axis direction) to the horizontal direction of the camera. Therefore, as the vertical moving frame 36 moves upward toward the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2, the horizontal distance between the force applying end 60 d and the pivot shaft 60 a gradually decreases. In this manner, the vertical moving amount of the vertical moving frame 36 per unit of rotation angle of the retracting lever 60 (a predetermined rotation angle) becomes larger as the vertical moving frame 36 approaches the photographing optical axis Z1. Conversely, the vertical moving amount of the frame 36 per unit of rotation angle of the retracting lever 60 becomes gradually smaller as the vertical moving frame 36 approaches the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2. By setting the pivotal position of the retracting lever 60 as above, the variation of the load on the driving system can be reduced when the third lens group 13 e, the low-pass filter 13 f, and the CCD 13 g are driven for retraction to the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2.

More specifically, the vertical moving frame biasing spring 39 is formed of an extension spring and is gradually extended as the vertical moving frame 36 moves upward for retraction from the photographing position (the photographing optical axis Z1) to the radially-retracted position (the off-optical-axis retracted position Z2). Therefore, the biasing force of the spring 39 gradually increases with the motion of the vertical moving frame 36 and becomes maximum when the vertical moving frame 36 reaches the radially-retracted position. Conversely, the moving amount of the vertical moving frame 36 per unit of rotation angle of the retracting lever 60 decreases in nearly inverse proportion to the increase of the biasing force of the spring 39. Therefore, even when the biasing force of the spring 39 gradually increases, the moving amount of the vertical moving frame 36 per unit of time gradually decreases. As a result, the load on the driving mechanism of the retracting lever 60 per unit of time does not change as much as the variation amount of the biasing force of the spring 39. The lever ratio of the retracting lever 60, the position of the pivot shaft 60 a are set so that the load variation per unit of time is reduced (i.e., load extremes per unit of time are reduced) as much as possible. Therefore, the variation of the resistance for action when the retracting lever 60 is driven can be reduced, and the output power of the driving source for driving the lever 60 can be reduced.

Specifically, the rotational driving force of the retracting lever 60 is obtained from the rotation of the helicoid ring 18, and the helicoid ring 18 is driven by the zoom motor MZ. If the variation of the resistance for the action of the retracting lever 60 is large, a motor must be provided which has an output power adaptable to the maximum resistance value. However, since the variation of the resistance for the action of the retracting lever 60 is suppressed to a minimum in the present invention, the load variation on the zoom motor MZ is reduced when the vertical moving frame 36 is driven for retraction. Accordingly, a small lightweight motor with a low maximum power can be employed as the zoom motor MZ, resulting in an advantage in reducing the size of the zoom lens barrel 10 and the power consumption.

Although the present invention has been described based on the above illustrated embodiment, the present invention is not limited solely thereto. For example, although the number of components is reduced by employing the zoom motor MZ also serving as the driving source of the retracting lever 60 in the illustrated embodiment, if a driving source is provided independently for driving the lever 60, a similar effect can be obtained for this driving source.

Furthermore, although the above embodiment is applied to a zoom lens barrel, the present invention can be applied to a lens barrel other than a zoom lens, so long as the lens barrel is of a type which is operated at least in a photographing state and a non-photographing (retracted) state.

Obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiments of the present invention described herein, such modifications being within the spirit and scope of the invention claimed. It is indicated that all matter contained herein is illustrative and does not limit the scope of the present invention. 

1. A lens barrel comprising: a radially-retractable optical element constituting a part of photographing optical system, said radially-retractable optical element being movable between a photographing position located on an optical axis of said photographing optical system, and a radially-retracted position located on an off-optical-axis position; a biasing device for biasing said radially-retractable optical element toward said photographing position; and a swing member which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending parallel to said optical axis, said swing member being rotated so as to push said radially-retractable optical element against a biasing force of said biasing device to move said radially-retractable optical element to said radially-retracted position; wherein said radially-retractable optical element and said swing member are mutually positioned so that a moving amount of said radially-retractable optical element per unit of rotation angle of said swing member gradually decreases as said radially-retractable optical element moves from said photographing position to said radially-retracted position.
 2. The lens barrel according to claim 1, wherein the biasing force of said biasing device varies according to the movement of said radially-retractable optical element and becomes maximum when said radially-retractable optical element is positioned at said radially-retracted position.
 3. The lens barrel according to claim 1, further comprising a linear guiding device, wherein said radially-retractable optical element is linearly guided by said linear guiding device so as to move between said photographing position and said radially-retracted position in a direction orthogonal to said optical axis.
 4. The lens barrel according to claim 3, wherein said linearly guiding device of said radially-retractable optical element comprises: a guide shaft extending parallel to a retracting direction of said radially-retractable optical element; and an optical-element holder which holds said radially-retractable optical element, said optical-element holder slidably supported by said guide shaft so as to move between said photographing position and said radially-retracted position of said radially-retractable optical element; wherein said swing member rotationally moves while pushing said optical-element holder against the biasing force of said biasing device when said radially-retractable optical element is moved from said photographing position to said radially-retracted position.
 5. The lens barrel according to claim 4, wherein said rotation axis of said swing member is positioned so that a force applying portion, at which said swing member pushes said optical-element holder, gradually approaches said guiding shaft as said radially-retractable optical element moves from said photographing position to said radially-retracted position.
 6. The lens barrel according to claim 5, wherein said swing member comprises a rotatable lever, one end thereof being rotatably supported at said rotation axis, and the other end thereof being provided with said force applying portion.
 7. The lens barrel according to claim 1, further comprising a rotational biasing member for rotationally biasing said swing member in a direction so as to hold said radially-retractable optical element in said photographing position.
 8. The lens barrel according to claim 1, further comprising: a rotational ring which is driven to rotate about a rotational axis parallel to said optical axis by a motor so as to cause at least one optical element, which is different from said radially-retractable optical element, to move along the optical axis; and a rotation transmitting device for transmitting a rotational driving force of said rotational ring to said swing member when said radially-retractable optical element moves from said photographing position to said radially-retracted position.
 9. The lens barrel according to claim 1, wherein said radially-retractable optical element comprises an image sensor provided in an imaging position of said photographing optical system.
 10. The lens barrel according to claim 1, further comprising an image-stabilizer which detects vibration applied to said photographing optical system and moves said radially-retractable optical element in a plane orthogonal to said optical axis, when said radially-retractable optical element is in said photographing position, to counteract image shake in accordance with a direction and a magnitude of said vibration.
 11. A lens barrel comprising: a radially-retractable optical element constituting a part of a photographing optical system, said radially-retractable optical element being movable between a photographing position located on an optical axis of said photographing optical system, and a radially-retracted position located on an off-optical-axis position; a biasing device for biasing said radially-retractable optical element toward said photographing position; and a swing member which is rotatable about a rotation axis extending parallel to said optical axis, said swing member being rotated so as to push said radially-retractable optical element against a biasing force of said biasing device to move said radially-retractable optical element to said radially-retracted position; wherein a biasing force of said biasing device gradually increases, and a moving amount of said radially-retractable optical element per unit rotation angle of said swing member gradually decreases, as said radially-retractable optical element moves from said photographing position to said radially-retracted position. 